Volta Region forms committee to manage SARS

A 13-member Volta Region Inter-Agency Committee on the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was inaugurated at Ho on Tuesday with a call on members to ensure that the disease ''does not add to the heavy human resource and economic problems of the country''.

Mr Kwasi Owusu-Yeboa, the Regional Minister and Chairman of the Committee, spelt out the terms of reference of the committee, which included educating the public on self protection and ways of checking the spread of the disease.

The Committee would be expected to manage and control anxiety and apprehension in communities whenever a case was reported, organise fast track medical care for cases detected and keep surveillance in communities in the region.

Other terms of reference are prompt quarantine of suspected and reported cases, institute protective care for personnel that will manage the cases, maintaining information on cases and activities of the committee and any other measures the committee would deem necessary to prevent the spread of SARS.

Mr Owusu-Yeboa said though there had not been any reported case in the country it was imperative that the country took precautionary measures.

He said membership of the committee was based on the strategic role of the various institutions in dealing with problems associated with the syndrome.

The committee comprises seven personalities directly concerned with health, and representatives of the Police Service, Customs Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Ghana Port Health at Aflao, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the media.

Dr MacDamien Dedzo, Acting Regional Director of Health Services, gave an overview of the disease worldwide saying, "if we are able to make it safe it is also safe for us".